Sunday, September 30, 2012

Where did the time go?

Wow. It's nearly October, and I am not at all ready for it. October is generally my busiest month of the year, and this year is no exception.

First, we have Pearl and the Beard! They'll be at the Beachland Tavern on Wednesday, October 3, and they're lots of fun. Example:

And bonus yarn!

I am really looking forward to the show, and hope lots of my fellow Clevelanders can make it!

After that, there's the North Coast Tour de Stitch, so my mom and I will wander across northeast Ohio visiting cross stitch tours. Oh, and there is coincidentally a production of Xanadu that weekend, so we'll have to catch a performance. I doubt we'll get to sit on the stage this time, though.

The next weekend will be spent in University Circle, at a Kirtlandia meeting and at the art museum for a knit-out.

Then it's off to Rhinebeck for a week at the Fred Compound! It will be great to see so many good friends again. We'll probably trek into NYC at some point and explore another bit of the city.

What else? I don't think I have anything planned for the last weekend in October, but you never know.

As usual, I am a slacker about posting. I have added 10 pages to my flickr photostream since my last post. Wow, that's a lot of knitting. And lots of Zuzu pictures. Finished the cowl to match the mitts, but still haven't sewn on the buttons. I have the buttons, so that's a good start, right?

Finished the fifth cowl in the Great Cowl KAL, and decided that I really disliked the yarn. Thankfully my coworker liked the finished object, and I was very happy that the cowl found a new home.

In April, went to Gretchen's wedding in NYC! Congrats, guys! My husband agreed that NYC is not as terrible of a place that he thought it would be, and perhaps we can go back someday, because we only touched on a fraction of what the city has to offer.

I wanted to wear a blue dress to the wedding, and knit a botanical garden shawl to match. Unfortunately, I ended up wearing something else, and the shawl is now on loan to Ewes d'Bleu as a shop sample for Lace Lux yarn.

While in NYC, I needed a walk-around-and-knit project, so I made a black hat my husband, as he can always use more hats.

Oh, yes. When we got back from NYC, Zuzu was diagnosed with diabetes. We started giving her shots twice a day. I got rather good at it, and if she was sleeping she might not even notice the injection. After a while, her kitty torture was reduced to once a day, and more recently she was declared normal enough to go without shots (just after I bought a box of syringes, of course!) Apparently diabetes in cats sometimes resolves on its own. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to go back to once-a-day shots eventually, but we'll see. Anyway, knit Lancet, and since I am most familiar with the word "lancet" as what is used to draw blood for glucose testing, I referred to my project as "my junkie cat."

Gratuitous cute kitty picture!

Also knit a Wingspan, because it was perfect for kauni. Wore it to a class with the Yarn Harlot, and while it is a bit bright for her taste, she ended up knitting one, too. (She also called me and Mary weird, but hey, we never claimed to be normal. And apparently the weird had more to do with our butterfly headbands than anything else.)

They've all found good homes, although I am a huge slacker and still need to mail Thao to her permanent residence.

Apparently I've been knitting a lot of Liz Abinante designs. She designed the cowls, and Lancet, and I also did Vouissour and Squinch.

Oh yes, in June I walked in a Color Run. And of course my hands could not be idle, so I have a hat. Also walked in a Color Me Rad with my sister in August, so she has a hat, too.

Did a very quick test knit of Dash Mitts, and may need to make more as Christmas gifts.

Still playing along in KALs, and did Nefarious Web, the TTL KAL, the Summer Solstice KAL. Did Madame Phelps (quietest KAL ever!), although still haven't blocked it, and am still slightly peeved that my "500-yard" skein of merino-tencel was more like 360 yards. The designer used 440 yards for her project, so I thought that 500 yards should be plenty. Nope. Needed to rip back the endless short rows, and didn't really add a ruffle at the bottom.

I love how this turned out!

I really disliked blocking the edging. Sent to a friend and she is welcome to re-block at will.

Given to a coworker who retired.

Finally finished my Ka'ana. (Love it! So soft and squishy, and the colors are gorgeous.) Needed some relatively instant gratification so started (and finished) Red Sumac. Got sucked into the endless garter stitch that is Color Affection. Finally finished my travel socksFinally made a Jayne hat.

Can't forget Zuzu's mane.

My kitty is so tolerant! On the needles now I have yet another KAL, Malice in Wonderland. I am slightly disappointed in this one, as the ads implied something a bit more complicated. Yes, it will be huge, and I will probably keep going, but I'm not sure if this one will live with me or if it will find a new home. Working on Spring Thaw in some amazing yarn. Silk and cashmere. Incredibly dreamy stuff. Talk to Rain and get yourself some. I would really like to finish that today, but of course it depends on how much longer I stare at the computer! Current meeting knitting is Afternoon Tea. We'll see how much longer that lasts.

Waiting room picture, not my magazine.

Anyway, I should get back to knitting and laundry. Funny how laundry never ends. One last thing: I looked at my project page to do this post, and sensed a theme. Can you see it?

About Me

A Pittsburgher living near Cleveland with my wonderful homebrewing husband and our sweet (but very needy) kittycat.
I love travelling, and will use almost any excuse to take a road trip. I've been known to drive from Pittsburgh to Dallas (yes, Texas) and back in a two-day weekend, although I'll keep to a saner schedule if I have a road buddy.